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Mission Statement

As part of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Eye Institute’s mission is to “conduct and support research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind.”

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

AMD Defined

AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in the U.S. It destroys the macula, the part of the eye that provides sharp, central vision needed for seeing objects clearly. Prevalence estimates are on late AMD, involving neovascular AMD and geographic atrophy.

2010 Prevalence Rates of AMD by Race

White Americans have the greatest likelihood of developing AMD. In 2010, 2.5 percent of white adults age 50 and older had AMD. By comparison, AMD affected 0.9 percent each of blacks, Hispanics and people of other races.

2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of AMD (in thousands) by Age, and Race/Ethnicity

The majority of AMD cases occur among white Americans. In 2010, 89 percent of Americans with AMD were white. By comparison, black and Hispanic American populations each accounted for four percent of AMD cases.

2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of AMD (in thousands) by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity

Women generally have a longer life expectancy than men and are therefore more likely to develop age-related eye diseases such as AMD. In 2010, 65 percent of AMD cases were in women compared with 35 percent in men.

Projections for AMD (2010-2030-2050)

By 2050, the estimated number of people with AMD is expected to more than double from 2.07 million to 5.44 million. White Americans will continue to account for the majority of cases. However, Hispanics will see the greatest rate of increase, with a nearly six-fold rise in the number of expected cases from 2010 to 2050.

Changes of Cases between 2000 and 2010

As the proportion of people in the U.S. age 65 and older grows larger, more people are developing age-related diseases such as AMD. From 2000-2010, the number of people with AMD grew 18 percent, from 1.75 million to 2.07 million.